The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-26
SNEAK THIEVES IN LIMBO.
CAPTURE OF THE LEADERS OF AN
ORGANIZED GANG.


ORGANIZED GANG.
Successful Raid on a Frogtown
"Fence"-John Williams and "Jirl"
Cav, Two Notorious Thieves, Ar
rested and in Jail-Officers on Track
of the Rest of the Band-Traiping
Young Negroes to Steal-The Tarred
Stick Game.
For some time past gang of negro
thieves has been at work in the suburbs of
the city, committing numerous petty thefts
in the boldest manner and invariably max
ing good its escape from arrest and detection.
Several attempts have been made to capture
some of the members of the gang, but they
have managed to elude pursuit in every in
stance Their operations have been CON
fined to the suburbs but they have skipped
about from one post to another, stealing
from Frogtown store one night
and froA the Old Fort another.
aud by t r irregularity throwing the of
ficers off Heir trail. They have been steal
ing meats and goods of that character. But
a night or two ago they began on cash
drawers, and then they came to grief.
The matter was reported TO Detective
Wetherhorn, and he and Constable Isaac
Nathans laid trap and caught two of the
birds They sent out two stool pigeons"
who soon located John Williams, one of the
gang, in house on Bryan street.
AFTER THE GANG.
The ''stool' reported him there, but the
detectives wanted to gather in the whole
bunch, so they sent the ''stooln back and he
succeeded in having Williams get the gang
of them together in house in Frogtown.
Word was sent to the detectives that
they were there, and they started for
the house, keeping on the side of the
canal bank out of sight. They reached one
spot where their progress was INSTRUCTED by
a garden that was fenced in. Feeling the
necessity of making the capture. they broke
down the fence and started through the gar
den. The keeper of it used some very ques-
tionable language when he saw them, but
they kept straight ahead and finally reached
the house where their men were. One of
the stools raised his hat as a signal
that everything was all right, and the de
tectives made a dash across the yard and
entered the hous, There was a general
scattering when they were seen, the thieves
climbing through windows, and rushing pell
nell out of doors Three of them made
their escape, but John Williams and Jim
Gay were caught, and taken to Justice
Warning Russell's Office.
TRAINED TO STEAL
They were seen there by a MORNING
NEWS reporter and to him they made free
confession of their guilt. They endeavored
to give an itemiZed account of their hauls
but they had been on too many excursions
to be able to remember the incidents of
them all. John Williams, who was the
worst of the two, said that he came off the
chain gang about Christmas last, but he had
only been stealing for about four months
past. He did not go out every night, but
only when he had no money. He
stole groceries and sold them to
many different grocers, and he gave the
name of one who, he said, knew that the
goods were stolen, and encouraged him to
continue to steal and bring him the goods to
buy. Friday night, he said, he stole three
cabbages, side of white meat and ham
from a store near Anderson street, but upon
what street ne did not know. About two
weeks ago he got pair of pants. drawers
and coat from a house near the corner of
East and South Broad streets.
RAIDING THE LARDERs.
He stole two hams and two sacks of flour
and a bucket of lard from a store ON West
Broad street, two hams from a store near
the cemetery, one from East Broad street,
and four quarts of rice from the southern
part of the city, two hams from Price
street, four sacks of -four from Drayton
street, and two hams and bucket of lard
from Price street. He would not give the
exact localities of any of the places but said
he could show where they are.
The favorite places were grocery stores,
where there was bar in the rear. One of
the gang would 60 into the bar and call the
storekeeper back there to serve him drink
while the remainder moved out of the gro
Gerry department whatever they could get
their hands on. Gay was sort of assistant
to Williams, who seemed to be the boldest
spirit of the lot Whenever ne found a nice
Job that he thought he could do alone he
would go by himself and keep to himself all
the profits, but if he needed assistance he
would call on the other members of the
band.
IMPLEMENTS OF THE TRADE
He did very neat piece of work in the
saloon of man named Palmer, in Frogtown.
He had stick about three feet long, which
had been trimmed down to a trowel shape
near the end and on one side OF IL he had
smeared tar. He was standing in front of
the bar talking across the counter TO Palmer.
and while engaged in conversation he
reached back OF Palmer with the stick and
slipped The sharpened end under a paste
board box in which Palmer kept his money
The box stuck 10 the tarred stick and VIII
liams lifted it over the counter when Palmer
turned his eyes away, and secured the con-
tents of the box, which amounted to 81
Friday night he went to the saloon of Har-
mon Rankin, on Ann and Bryan streets, and
while Rankin was in the grocery he took
out the cash drawer in the saloon. He Sc
cured 80 there, and the money was found on
him when he was arrested
a HAUL OF WATCHES.
The gang stole silver and plated watch
chain from man named Fisher in Frog
town, and from him also took several other
articles of small value. They gave the Off
GERS all the information they wanted about
the other members of the gang, and they
will probably be caught to-day, as they and
their haunts are known.
These are not the men who have been
doing the house-brealIing that has caused
the residents of the vicinity of the
Park SO much uneasiness, but they
know who the house-breakers are.
and have told detective Wetherhorn.
They also gave information that led TO the
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